Global Communication Center - Learning Modules

Learning Modules and Courses

The GCC created online courses to extend learning outside of the traditional boundaries of writing center consultations and classroom workshops. These online modules have been popular with students and instructors.

Team Communication: A DEI Approach to Prepare Students to Collaborate on Teams

The modules below adopt a DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) approach to prepare students to collaborate effectively on teams. The modules operate from the assumption that efficient and equitable collaboration does not happen automatically--it must be planned and integrated into all parts of the project. These modules prepare students to create two essential planning documents in their first team meeting: the task schedule and the team charter. They were developed as part of Maria P. Feuer's dissertation work. See the scholarship page for more information.

Module 1: Unpacking your Team Expectations - To be completed individually

This module shows students how a failure to discuss expectations and procedures at the beginning of a project leads to inequity, poor quality, and low morale. Students then respond to a variety of scenarios that unpack their assumptions about how a team should collaborate. At the end of the module, students are prompted to save a file with their responses for discussion at the first team meeting.

Module 2: Creating a Task Schedule - To be completed individually

This module shows how proper discussion and documentation at the beginning of a project can save teams from the problems shown in the first module. The module then shows a format for a task schedule that is particularly useful for student teams and prompts students to create their own draft of a task schedule for discussion at the first team meeting.

Module 3: Creating your Team’s Documents - To be completed as a team

This module gives teams practice in integrating diverse goals and perspectives. It then asks teams to apply these integration skills to create their own Team Charter and Task Schedule.

In addition, students may want to review this video with advice on how to respond and intervene if they notice biased behavior occurring on their team.

Writing Your Personal Statement for Graduate School

Log into the Online Learning Initiative course key page and enter the course key SOP20-21. This online module gives students practical, audience-based advise for writing a Statement of Purpose (aka personal statement) for a research-focused graduate program(such as English, Computer Science, or Engineering) or a vocation-focused graduate program such as law school or medical school.

Writing Your Dissertation: Thinking about the "Big Picture"

This Canvas course describes several common formats for a dissertation and coaches writers in articulating the significance and "newsworthiness" of their contribution.

Writing Your Mechanical Engineering Project

This Canvas course describes how to write an effective Mechanical Engineering research report.